Monogramming insert for buttonhole attachment

ABSTRACT

A device adapted for insertion into an existing buttonhole attachment unit, having a feed blade and utilizing a gear driven template for making the buttonhole, which will permit the making of monograms and other designs on shirts, handkerchiefs and the like when the unit is mounted in a sewing machine with the insert installed in place of the gear driven template. The monogramming insert includes a platform mounting the monogrammer cam containing the X and Y tracks, and a drive train coupling the cam to the actuating pinion of the buttonhole attachment. An integrator plate to which the monogrammer cam follower motions are transferred couples to integrated motions to the feed blade of the buttonhole attachment, thereby causing motion of the work engaging foot of the attachment as required for the making of the monogram or the design.

[4 1 June 13, 1972 [$4] MONOGRAMMING INSERT FOR BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT [72] inventors: Kenneth D. Adams, Madison; Charles R.

Odennann, Montville, both of NJ.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: March 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 122,801

3,121,410 2/1964 Enos .:::.112 77 Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Marshall .l. Breen, Chester A. Williams, Jr. and Robert E. Smith ABSTRACT A device adapted for insertion into an existing buttonhole attachment unit, having a feed blade and utilizing a gear driven template for making the buttonhole, which will permit the making of monograms and other designs on shirts, handkerchiefs and the like when the unit is mounted in a sewing machine with the insert installed in place of the gear driven template. The monogramming insert includes a platform mounting the monogrammer cam containing the X and Y tracks, and a drive train coupling the cam to the actuating pinion of the buttonhole attachment. An integrator plate to which the monogrammer cam follower motions are transferred couples to integrated motions to the feed blade of the buttonhole attachment, thereby causing motion of the work engaging foot of the attachment as required for the making of the monogram or the design.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 33 I w ll PATENTEDJUH I 3 I972 3.669.044

SHEET 1 OF 2 IN V ENTORS.

Kenneth D. Adams BY C urles R.Odermonn wamsss: c l/71 131w wpmmq ATTORNEY FATENTEDJUNIIHHYZ 3.669.044

SHEET 2 BF 2 s: h MWIINII INVENTORS. Kenneth D. Adams, BY Charles ROdermunn WITNESSI V GLPJK {A M MM ATTORNEY MONOGRAMMIN G INSERT FOR BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art discloses many buttonhole attachments and monogrammer attachments for sewing machines which are driven by the needle bar as it reciprocates in endwisc fashion. There are also monogrammer attachments able to accomplish both the making of monograms and the making of buttonholes by interchanging cams. However, for the many people who have buttonhole attachments and desire to monogram shirts, etc., it requires the purchase of a monogrammer attachment at a roughly equivalent cost to the entire buttonhole attachment unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention includes a mounting plate supporting the monogrammer cam and cam drive gears which mesh with the actuating pinion of the buttonhole attachment when the mounting plate is seated. The mounting plate supports an integrator plate without limiting its mobility within the range of operation. The cam followers are linked to the integrator plate causing the plate to move in response to the cam tracks; and, by means of a fin on the bottom surface of the integrator plate which fits into a slot in the feed blade of the buttonhole attachment unit when the mounting plate is seated, drives the feed blade and the material clamp attached thereto to accomplish the pattern of the monogrammer cam. The cam itself is driven by making on its periphery a gear with sufficient teeth missing to define a starting and stopping position. The last gear in the drive train in mesh with this gear will cause the cam to turn until it is driven out of mesh, at which point the monogram design will be completed. The design can be repeated by rotating the cam until the gear teeth on its periphery again come into mesh with the drive train. The monogramming insert may be used with any buttonhole attachment unit utilizing a feed blade into which is inserted a buttonhole template to be driven by a pinion. In those buttonhole attachment units having built-in zigzag capabilities the mounting plate must be affixed to the lever supporting the attachment actuating pinion. The mounting plate, the monogrammer cam and the cam followers, will be carried through the lateral oscillations of the actuating pinion. In buttonhole attachments meant for use with sewing machines having zigzag capabilities the mounting plate and the monogrammer cam will remain stationary.

It is an object of the invention to provide an economical device for the making of monograms and designs.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an insert for existing buttonhole attachment units which will permit the making of monograms and designs with the insert therein installed.

It is still another object of the invention to provide for an insert in a buttonhole attachment unit which will make mono grams and designs and at the completion of the monogram or design will discontinue feeding of the material.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a buttonhole attachment unit with an exploded view of the insert positioned above it.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the insert including the feed blade of the buttonhole attachment unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the insert.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the buttonhole attachment with the cover thereof in open position and the monogramming insert in operative position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIGS. M one embodiment of a monogramming insert for use with a zigzag sewing machine which monogramming insert attaches to the feed blade 42 of the buttonhole attachment 43 as described in the U. S. Pat. No. 3,l2l,4l0 issued on Feb. I8, 1964 to J. P. Enos which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this specification.

This U. 5. Pat. No. 3.l2l,4l0 is entitled Buttonhole At tachment for Zigzag Sewing Machines and refers to an attachment unit the frame 56 of which is mounted onto the presser bar of a sewing machine at the block 57 in place of the normally used presser foot. The frame 56 slidably supports a feed blade 42, at one extremity of which is attached a work engaging foot 51, the other end having a template opening 50 to accept a buttonhole template formed with a flange to control depth of insertion. In addition to being slidably supported by the frame 56, the feed blade 42 is caused to pivot about a vertical pin whose position is controlled by the pivot locking screw 58. The buttonhole template is formed in its bottom surface with a deep groove fashioned to create an endless track to conform to the desired shape for the buttonhole, as for example, an oval. Spaced outwardly from this cam track and following its contours is an internal gear, impressed in the bottom surface approximately only half as deeply as the groove. The cam follower tracking the groove is a pin 52 concentric with and projecting from an attachment actuating pinion 41. While the follower 52 tracks the groove the pinion 41 meshes with the internal gear of the buttonhole cam. The attachment actuating pinion is mounted on a ratchet wheel 54 which is rotated stepwise by a pawl 53 connected by linkage to the attachment drive lever 55 which fits about the needle clamp screw on the needle bar and is caused to reciprocate by it as it performs its stitching function.

It will be understood that the rotating attachment actuating pinion 41 will cause the template to move when the needle bar reciprocates, causing the feed blade to move and pivot about the pivot pin. This motion is transferred by the work engaging foot 51 to the material in conformance with the groove formed into the buttonhole template tracked by the cam follower 52.

Having explained the operation of the Buttonhole Attachment Unit into which the monogramming insert will fit, I will proceed to describe the insert itself.

The insert includes a stationary mounting plate I having a retaining spring 2 affixed to one end of the plate and a pair of forks 3 formed on the opposite end. A cam mounting post 4 is affixed to the mounting plate I as for example by a retaining ring 5, and a monogrammer cam 6 containing a Y feed cam track 7 in the top surface and an X feed cam track 8 in the bottom surface and having gear teeth 9 on its periphery with a gap 10 is rotatably mounted on this mounting post. The Y feed cam follower stud I1 is screwed into and protrudes from the cam follower transfer strap 12 and with the screw 13 retains the detent spring 14 along the top of this strap aligned with the slot in the strap that fits over the grooved stud 15 on the cam mounting post 4 when the strap 12 is in the operative position. The strap 12 is retained in this operative position by the detent spring 14 fitting into the detent grooves 16 of the cam mounting post stud 15.

The Y feed motion sensed by the Y feed cam follower stud ll affixed to the transfer strap 12 is transferred to an integrator plate I7 through a clevis mounting pin 18 depending from the integrator plate 17 onto which is rotatably fitted the transfer clevis 19 which supports the transfer strap 12 by means of a hinge pin 20. The clevis mounting pin 18 contains a clearance hole 2] for the retaining pin 20 to prevent binding in the motion of the integrator plate 17. A shoulder 22 on the clevis mounting pin acts as a seat for the clevis 19 to preclude binding on the stationary mounting plate 1 situated between the clevis I9 and the integrator plate 17.

An X feed cam follower 23 is attached to an X feed connecting link 25 and senses the X feed cam track 8 by projecting through a slot 24 in the mounting plate. The link 25 is connected to the integrator plate 17 at 26 by the connecting link rivet 27 thereby transferring motion of the X feed cam follower to the integrator plate.

The forward end of the integrator plate is slotted in the Y direction 28 and is movably connected to and supported by the mounting plate 1 by means of a headed pin 29 extending through the slot 28 in the integrator plate and through a similar slot 30 in the mounting plate in the X direction to be held by a retaining ring 31 over the pin atop the mounting plate. A spacer washer 32 is interposed between the integrator plate and mounting plate to prevent binding of the X feed connecting link 25.

CAM DRIVE ARRANGEMENT The monogrammer cam is driven by means of a drive train terminating with the cam driving gear 33, in mesh with the gear teeth 9 on the periphery of the monogrammer cam. The starting and stopping point for the cam is determined by the gap 10 in the gear teeth of the cam. The transfer gear stud 34 has affixed to one end the cam driving gear 33 and after passing through a bushing 35 depending from the stationary mounting plate 1 has afiixed to its lower end the transfer gear 36. A pair of idler gears, 37 and 38, are rotatably attached to studs 39 and 40 which depend from the mounting plate 1 in such a fashion that idler gear 37 is in mesh with the transfer gear 36, and, when the insert is in the operative position in the buttonhole attachment, the idler gear 38 will be in mesh with the attachment actuating pinion 41. By the use of suitable gearing, patterns can be designed for up to a maximum of 364 stitches.

OPERATION OF UNIT To locate the insert in the buttonhole attachment unit requires the installation of the support 44 for the pin 45 by means of a screw 46 and nut 47 through an existing opening 48 in the attachment base made for manufacturing purposes. The locator forks 3 of the mounting plate I are inserted over the pin 45 and the insert is pivoted about the pin until the insertion guide 49 of the integrator plate 17 protrudes into the template opening 50 of the feed blade 42 of the buttonhole attachment unit. The insert is pressed downwards while moving the work engaging foot 51 side to side until the retaining spring 2 snaps under the cover of the buttonhole attachment unit. At this point the integrator plate [7 is coupled to the feed blade 42 by means of the key 52 affixed to the integrator plate fitting into the key slot of the feed blade under the pressure of the insertion guide 49 pressing against the opposite end of the template opening 50. A cam 6 may be inserted on the cam mounting post 4, again sliding the work engaging foot side to side until the cam sits flat in the insert. The cam follower transfer strap may then be rotated about the hinge pin 20 and depressed over the stud l5 of the cam mounting post and the work engaging foot manipulated back and forth until the detent spring snaps shut. The bight control of the sewing machine may be adjusted to one-sixteenth inch width in zigzag and the monogrammer cam can be rotated into its start position by manipulating the manual ratcheting lever of the attachment unit described in the referenced patent application. Upon installation ofa darning plate to eliminate the operation on the cloth of the feed system of the sewing machine the monogram can be sewn until the cam stops turning at the finish mark on the cam.

It is possible that the linkage connecting the X and Y feed cam followers may be directly connected to the feed blade thereby eliminating the integrator plate. The integrator plate, however, simplifies the installation of the insert by reducing the number of elements to be manipulated in the installation process.

The device disclosed pertains to an insert to be used with a buttonhole attachment that depends on the sewing machine for zigzag capabilities. For those buttonhole attachments having built-in zigzag capabilities, as for example the attachment described in the U. 5. Pat. No. 2,482,607 issued on Sept. 20, I949 to N. T. Almquist which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this specification, the mounting plate and the monogrammer cam and drive train mounted thereon must be attachable to the lever supporting the actuating pinion, with cooperative connection between the drive train and the actuating pinion. As the lever is urged by a cam roll to oscillate laterally, the mounting plate and monogrammer cam will likewise oscillate and cause the integrator plate mounted on the feed blade to oscillate by reason of the connecting linkage from the cam followers to the integrator plate.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what l claim herein is:

1. In combination with a buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine having an endwise reciprocatory and laterally jogging needle bar, the attachment including a frame, a feed blade, stationary actuating means adapted to be operated by the sewing machine in a stepwise fashion, an exchangeable buttonhole patterning element insertable between the actuating means and the feed blade, a work engaging foot carried by the feed blade, means slidably pivoting the feed blade with respect to the attachment at a selected distance from the actuating means; the improvement which comprises a mounting plate, means for exchangeably supporting the mounting plate in the attachment frame, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting plate and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means for the cam operable from the actuating means of the attachment, cam follower means for the cam tracks, and linkage means connecting the cam follower means to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 having an integrator plate shiftably supported by the mounting plate and means locking the integrator plate to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element wherein the linkage means connect the cam follower means to the integrator plate.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the drive means for the cam operable from the actuating means of the attachment are discontinuous, the discontinuity defining a starting and stopping point for the monogram.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the discontinuous drive means for the cam includes the periphery of the cam formed with gear teeth, having teeth missing to provide the discontinuity, a gear drive train meshing with the cam and driven by an actuating pinion in the buttonhole attachment.

5v A monogramming insert adapted to convert a buttonhole attachment into a monogrammer attachment the monogramming insert comprising a mounting plate, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting plate and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means on the mounting plate for the cam, cam follower means tracking said X and Y cam tracks, an integrator plate shiftably supported on the mounting plate, and linkage connecting the cam follower means to the integrator plate.

6. In combination with a buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine having an endwise reciprocatory needle bar, the attachment including a frame, a feed blade, an actuating pinion mounted on a pivoted lever, first actuating means adapted to be operated by the sewing machine in a stepwise fashion providing zigzag motion to the pivoted lever, second actuating means operable from the zigzag motion to provide intermittent rotary motion to the pinion, an exchangeable buttonhole patterning element insertable between the actuating means and the feed blade, a work engaging foot carried by the feed blade, means slidably pivoting the feed blade with respect to the attachment at a selected distance from the actuating pinion; the improvement which comprises a mounting plate, means for supporting the mounting plate on the pivoted lever, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting late and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means for the cam operable from the actuating pinion of the attachment, cam follower means for the cam tracks, an integrator plate shiflably supported by the mounting plate, linkage connecting the cam follower means to the integrator plate, and means locking the integrator plate to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element.

II I! I. 

1. In combination with a buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine having an endwise reciprocatory and laterally jogging needle bar, the attachment including a frame, a feed blade, stationary actuating means adapted to be operated by the sewing machine in a stepwise fashion, an exchangeable buttonhole patterning element insertable between the actuating means and the feed blade, a work engaging foot carried by the feed blade, means slidably pivoting the feed blade with respect to the attachment at a selected distance from the actuating means; the improvement which comprises a mounting plate, means for exchangeably supporting the mounting plate in the attachment frame, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting plate and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means for the cam operable from the actuating means of the attachment, cam follower means for the cam tracks, and linkage means connecting the cam follower means to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 having an integrator plate shiftably supported by the mounting plate and means locking the integrator plate to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element wherein the linkage means connect the cam follower means to the integrator plate.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the drive means for the cam operable from the actuating means of the attachment are discontinuous, the discontinuity defining a starting and stopping point for the monogram.
 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the discontinuous drive means for the cAm includes the periphery of the cam formed with gear teeth, having teeth missing to provide the discontinuity, a gear drive train meshing with the cam and driven by an actuating pinion in the buttonhole attachment.
 5. A monogramming insert adapted to convert a buttonhole attachment into a monogrammer attachment the monogramming insert comprising a mounting plate, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting plate and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means on the mounting plate for the cam, cam follower means tracking said X and Y cam tracks, an integrator plate shiftably supported on the mounting plate, and linkage connecting the cam follower means to the integrator plate.
 6. In combination with a buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine having an endwise reciprocatory needle bar, the attachment including a frame, a feed blade, an actuating pinion mounted on a pivoted lever, first actuating means adapted to be operated by the sewing machine in a stepwise fashion providing zigzag motion to the pivoted lever, second actuating means operable from the zigzag motion to provide intermittent rotary motion to the pinion, an exchangeable buttonhole patterning element insertable between the actuating means and the feed blade, a work engaging foot carried by the feed blade, means slidably pivoting the feed blade with respect to the attachment at a selected distance from the actuating pinion; the improvement which comprises a mounting plate, means for supporting the mounting plate on the pivoted lever, a monogrammer cam rotatably mounted on the mounting plate and having X and Y cam tracks therein, drive means for the cam operable from the actuating pinion of the attachment, cam follower means for the cam tracks, an integrator plate shiftably supported by the mounting plate, linkage connecting the cam follower means to the integrator plate, and means locking the integrator plate to the feed blade of the attachment in place of the buttonhole patterning element. 